Diablo III is being developed as the definitive action role-playing game, and a true continuation of the Diablo series. Players will create a hero from one of five distinct classes, such as barbarian or witch doctor, each equipped with an array of spells and abilities. As these heroes adventure through rich and varied settings, unraveling an epic storyline and engaging in combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, they’ll grow in experience and ability and acquire items of incredible power.

The game takes place on Sanctuary, a world of dark fantasy. Unbeknownst to most of its inhabitants, Sanctuary was saved some twenty years ago from the demonic forces of the underworld by a few brave and powerful heroes. Most of those warriors who directly faced Hell’s armies -- and were fortunate enough to survive -- went mad from their experiences. And most of the others have buried their haunted memories and pushed the horrors from their thoughts. In Diablo III, players will return to Sanctuary to confront evil in its many forms once again.

Diablo III will pick up the story twenty years after the events of Diablo II. Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal have been defeated, but the Worldstone, which once shielded the inhabitants of the world of Sanctuary from the forces of both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, has been destroyed, and evil once again stirs in Tristram. Playing as a hero from one of five distinct character classes, players will acquire powerful items, spells, and abilities as they explore new and familiar areas of Sanctuary and battle hordes of demons to safeguard the world from the horrors that have arisen.

On the night of May 14, key retail partners in the US, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Poland, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and the region of Taiwan will welcome gamers who want to be among the first to purchase Diablo III and lock horns with the Lord of Terror.

In the US, the official launch event will be hosted by Blizzard and retail partner GameStop at:

The Great Wheel Court of the Irvine Spectrum Mall

71 Fortune Drive

Irvine, CA 92618

Festivities will start at 8:00 p.m. PDT on May 14. Gamers in attendance will enjoy an epic evening of entertainment before Diablo III goes on sale at midnight, including a variety of giveaways; an exciting selection of Diablo-related video footage; and multiple contests with exclusive Diablo III-themed prizes, such as laser-etched desktop PCs from Intel. In addition, members of the Diablo III development team will be on site at each of the official events to meet with players and sign their copies of the game.

For more information on the global launch events, visit the official website. In addition to the official US launch event, other retail locations around the country will open at midnight to support gamers looking to pick up their copy of the game the moment it goes live. Please check with your local retailers for further details.

Attendees at the official Diablo III launch events will have the opportunity to purchase† the standard edition of the game (suggested retail price $59.99) as well as the Collector's Edition (suggested retail price $99.99), which contains the following bonus items in addition to the game disc:

• Exclusive aesthetic artifacts for Diablo III, as well as an exclusive World of Warcraftin-game fetish shaman pet and exclusive StarCraft II Battle.net portraits and army decal
• A behind-the-scenes Blu-ray/DVD two-disc set with over an hour of interviews detailing how the world of Sanctuary came together
• The Art of Diablo III, a 208-page art book that catalogues numerous pieces of Diablo III art, from early concepts to final 3D renderings
• The official Diablo III soundtrack CD, containing 24 original pieces from the game
• A 4GB USB soulstone, preloaded with full versions of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and corresponding Diablo skull base

• Five powerful character classes to choose from, including the barbarian and witch doctor
• Brand-new 3D graphics engine enhanced with spectacular visual effects and Havok physics
• Numerous indoor and outdoor areas detailing new regions in the world of Sanctuary
• Interactive environments with dangerous traps and obstacles, and destructible elements
• Randomly generated worlds bolstered by scripted events for endless and dynamic gameplay
• Vast assortment of fiendish monsters, with unique attack patterns and behaviors
• New quest system and character-customization options for the ultimate action RPG experience
• Multiplayer functionality over Battle.net with support for cooperative and competitive play

Diablo III, rated M for Mature, will be available at a suggested price of $59.99 USD for both the retail DVD-ROM version and the digital version sold directly from Blizzard. A special alabaster-white Collector’s Edition, sold exclusively in retail stores at a suggested retail price of $99.99 USD, will include the full game on DVD-ROM, a behind-the-scenes Blu-ray/DVD two-disc set, the Diablo III soundtrack CD, a 208-page Art of Diablo III book, and a 4 GB USB soulstone (including full versions of Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction) and corresponding Diablo skull base, as well as exclusive in-game content for Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.